Over the past 34 years, hundreds of students have passed through the buzzing workshops of Chippendale School. We are proud to have supported the careers of many professional woodworkers and furniture makers, providing them with the skills to make a success of themselves in the industry.
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One of the great things about the Chippendale school is that we have incubation space into which graduates can move and set up their own businesses.
It means that students can avoid the cost of buying machinery while negotiating the early months or years of self-employment.
It’s a route that was taken by Ewan Ogilvie when he graduated in 2013, although he’s now moved into his own workshop nearby.
His company, Ogilvies of Haddington, gives employment to three other graduates from the school, and in the years since graduation, Ewan has worked on a whole variety of projects from kitchens to wine cellars, and from garden offices to furniture design and making.
He was previously an accountant with the City of Edinburgh Council, but had always wanted to run his own business, and cautions graduating students to only design and create to the highest standards.
“Your previous customers can be your best advertisers,” he says, warning students also to have realistic expectations when they graduate.
“It’s a fantastic way to make a living,” says Ewan, “and I wouldn’t now change it for the world, but establishing yourself in the market takes time and hard work.”
Ewan’s experience is that there is no shortcut to success and that, while woodworking can be a rewarding career, it also takes determination and hard graft.
This week. we’re talking to four professional course alumni who have gone on to create woodworking success and to listen to their advice for aspiring woodworkers.
Yesterday we had Ewan Ogilvie from Scotland, and today we have Sam Rouse from the United States who graduated in 2016.
Sam’s long-term plan was always to start his own business, but to gain more experience he decided to work for another furniture maker in Florida for a few years.
However, those plans quickly changed when he landed back in the USA to find a voicemail from an interior designer on his phone.
She had a client who had just built a $1million dollar home and who was looking for upwards of 15 pieces of furniture.
Sam cancelled his interview in Florida and instead set up a workshop in North Carolina. One month later the client disappeared and stole the Interior designer’s designs.
“That’s how my story starts,” says Sam. “New city, wife, one daughter, no work.
“That’s the bad news. The good news? Three years later I am making furniture at Sam Rouse Furniture and loving it. Although I am still new to woodworking, I have learned so much over the past three years.”
Sam’s advice is to start small to avoid taking on too much debt by buying expensive tools and machinery.
He also suggests, if you can, to get at least some payment up front, and to give yourself plenty of time to finish a project. “Nothing is worse than phoning a client to tell them you will be late. Giving yourself time also allows you to take on rush orders…and no one ever complains about getting a piece early!”
Sam also cautions about pricing. “My first project was a desk that took two months to make and I charged $800. Terrible! But don’t also fall into the trap of over-charging.
“Work out what you need to live and pay the bills, then slowly increase your prices as time goes on. That’s worked for me.”
Sam also advises that new woodworkers must be ready for the ups and downs of business.
“But I love what I do. The flexibility to take a day off when the sun is shining and play with my kids, is infinitely valuable to me.”
Gary Staple, Nova Scotia, Canada (2013-2014)
Gary Staple owns and runs his own business Gary Staple Fine Woodworking and he too advises new woodworkers to keep their overheads low.
“The first few years will be the most difficult and high overheads can sink a new company. My advice is not to rush out and buy lots of shiny new equipment, but do buy quality in the tools you use the most.”
He also emphasises the importance of pricing. “It’s easy to price too low, but the fact of the matter is that custom furniture is a high-end market product.
“So, look at what established makers are charging in your area, and be guided by those prices. Remember, you are not competing with IKEA.
Mike Whittall, who graduated in 2016, owns and runs Ochre & Wood in Aberdeenshire.
He was fortunate to ‘hit the ground running’ with a good commission from an ex-colleague, and advises new woodworkers not to underestimate their existing network of friends, relations or former colleagues.
That summer, he chose to stay on in the school’s incubation space to have access to workshop facilities and support. This enabled him to deliver the piece quickly, while being a valuable part of transitioning into the world of work.
In the autumn, he set up his own workshop at home and made a plan to design and make new furniture, take on restoration work and run woodworking courses.
“The idea was to create three complementary income streams which could fit round each other and show customers a variety of activity. For a creative, this might all sound a bit too much like business speak but, ultimately, a business was what I needed as well as being an outlet for my creative ideas,” says Mike.
“Just under three years on, the plan is starting to show growth. The commissions are beginning to come, restoration projects are now fairly regular and I have developed a series of weekend courses.
“I won’t pretend it’s been a walk in the park, but that’s the reality for any business start-up.
“To extend an oft-used phrase, this whole thing has been a real journey, both frustrating and rewarding and I wouldn’t change a single thing!” says Mike.